Russian accused of hacking the data of 80 million people extradited to US

Federal authorities on Friday announced the extradition of a Russian man who they say took part in an extensive computer-hacking campaign that included the largest theft of customer data from a US financial institution in history.

Andrei Tyurin, 35, who was extradited from the country of Georgia, faces several charges stemming from the scheme, which targeted American financial institutions, brokerage firms and financial news publishers, among other US companies, according to a statement from the Manhattan US attorney’s office.

Tyurin allegedly hacked one financial institution in Manhattan and came away with the personal data of more than 80 million people, officials said.

In all, more than 100 million customers had their information stolen as part of the extensive hacking Tyurin is suspected of engaging in from about 2012 to 2015, officials said.

“As Americans increasingly turn to online banking, theft of online personal information can cause devastating effects on their financial well-being, sometimes taking years to recover,” Manhattan US Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said in a statement. “Today’s extradition marks a significant milestone for law enforcement in the fight against cyber intrusions targeting our critical financial institutions.”

Tyurin was presented in court and remanded back into federal custody, according to Nicholas Biase, a spokesman for the US Attorney’s Office. Tyurin did not enter a plea, Biase said.

Tyurin, who allegedly conducted the hacks with several others, also participated in a scheme where stocks were marketed “in a deceptive and misleading manner” in an effort to inflate the price, investigators said.

Tyurin also used his hacking to help further an illegal gambling business, an illegal internet casino and international payment processors, which allowed other alleged thieves to process payments by credit or debit card, investigators said. This was done for illegal pharmaceutical distributors, purveyors of malicious or counterfeit “anti-virus” software, their own internet casinos and an illegal bitcoin exchange, according to the investigators. Tyurin and his co-conspirators made more than $18 million in profits, investigators said.

Tyurin is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit computer hacking, one count of wire fraud, four counts of computer hacking, one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, one count of conspiracy to violate the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, officials said.

“Today’s charges and extradition should serve as a lesson to all those who would conspire to engage in similar activity that the FBI and our partners will continue to bring these hackers to justice, regardless of where they may hide,” said FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr.